List of German World War II jet aces

This list of German World War II jet aces has a sortable table of notable German jet ace pilots during World War II.

Background[]

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat (The Germans traditionally set the threshold at 10 victories.). During World War II, hundreds of German Luftwaffe fighter pilots achieved this feat flying contemporary piston engine fighter aircraft.^[1] However, only 28 pilots are credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft while flying a jet-powered aircraft.

Jet aircraft made their World War II combat debut when Leutnant Alfred Schreiber, flying Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a W.Nr. 130 017 (German language: Werknummer – factory serial number), attacked a No. 540 Squadron Royal Air Force Mosquito PR XVI (a photo-reconnaissance aircraft) over the Alps on 26 July 1944.

Although often referred to as the first aerial victory by a jet fighter in aviation history,^[2] the damaged Mosquito managed to return to an Allied airfield in Italy. The first jet victory was therefore the confirmed destruction of another No. 540 Squadron reconnaissance Mosquito PR XVI, which was shot down by Leutnant Joachim Weber over Ohlstadt on 8 August 1944.^[3]

By 1944–45 the German Luftwaffe committed three new types of jet- or rocket-propelled fighters to combat operations. Besides the Me 262, the rocket propelled Me 163 "Komet" and the He 162 "Volksjäger" had become operational. Although a few claims were made by pilots of the Me 163 and He 162, no pilot achieved ace status on either of these two types.^[4]

German jet aces[]

This along with the * (asterisk), indicates that the pilot was either killed in action or killed in a flying accident.

The list is initially sorted by the number of jet victories claimed.^[5]

Name	Rank	Victories flying jets	Jet fighter unit(s)	Total wartime victories	Notes
Welter, KurtKurt Welter	Oberleutnant	20+^[a]	Kdo Welter, 10./NJG 11	63	Possibly the all-time leading jet ace. —
Bar, HeinrichHeinrich Bär	Oberstleutnant	16	EJG 2, JV 44	220	started jet combat in 1945 —
Schall, FranzFranz Schall*	Hauptmann	14	Kdo Nowotny, JG 7	137	Killed in flying accident 10 April 1945^[5] —
Eder, Georg-PeterGeorg-Peter Eder	Major	12	Kdo Nowotny JG 7	78	Wounded 16 February 1945^[5] —
Rudorffer, ErichErich Rudorffer	Major	12	JG 7	222	—
Schnörrer, KarlKarl Schnörrer	Leutnant	11	EKdo 262 Kdo Nowotny JG 7	46	Wounded 30 March 1945^[5] —
Büttner, ErichErich Büttner*	Oberfeldwebel	8	EKdo 262 Kdo Nowotny JG 7	8	Killed in action 20 March 1945^[5] —
Lennartz, HelmutHelmut Lennartz	Feldwebel	8	EKdo 262 Kdo Nowotny JG 7	13	First aerial victory over a B-17 Flying Fortress by a jet fighter on 15 August 1944.^[6] —
Rademacher, RudolfRudolf Rademacher	Leutnant	8	JG 7	126	—
Schuck, WalterWalter Schuck	Oberleutnant	8	JG 7	206	—
Wegmann, GüntherGünther Wegmann	Oberleutnant	8	EKdo 262 JG 7	14	Wounded 18 March 1945^[5] —
Weihs, Hans-DieterHans-Dieter Weihs	Leutnant	8	JG 7	8	Midair collision with Hans Waldmann on 18 March 1945, killing Waldmann.^[7]
Weissenberger, TheodorTheodor Weissenberger	Major	8	JG 7	208	—
Ambs, AlfredAlfred Ambs	Leutnant	7	JG 7	7	—
Arnold, HeinzHeinz Arnold*	Oberfeldwebel	7	JG 7	49	Killed in action 17 April 1945^[5] Arnold's Me 262 A-1a W.Nr.500491 "Yellow 7" of II./JG 7 bearing his personal victory marks is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA.^[8] —
Becker, Karl-HeinzKarl-Heinz Becker	Feldwebel	7	10./NJG 11	7	—
Galland, AdolfAdolf Galland\|Generalleutnant	7\|	JV 44	104	Assigned to create JV44 in March 1945. Wounded 26 April 1945	^[5] —
Köster, FranzFranz Köster	Unteroffizier	7	EJG 2 JG 7 JV 44	7	—
Muller, FritzFritz Müller	Leutnant	6	JG 7	22
Steinhoff, JohannesJohannes Steinhoff	Oberst	6	JG 7 JV 44	176	Wounded 18 April 1945^[5] —
Baudach, HelmutHelmut Baudach*	Oberfeldwebel	5	Kdo Nowotny JG 7	20	Killed in action 22 February1945^[5] —
Ehrler, HeinrichHeinrich Ehrler*	Major	5	JG 7	206	Killed in action 4 April 1945^[5] —
Grünberg, HansHans Grünberg	Oberleutnant	5	JG 7 JV 44	82	—
Heim, JosephJoseph Heim*	Gefreiter	5	JG 7	5	Killed in action 10 April 1945^[5]
Neumann, KlausKlaus Neumann	Leutnant	5	JG 7 JV 44	37	—
Schreiber, AlfredAlfred Schreiber*	Leutnant	5	Kdo Nowotny JG 7	5	First jet ace in aviation history^[9] Killed in flying accident 26 November 1944^[5]
Späte, WolfgangWolfgang Späte	Major	5	(JG 400) JV 44	99	—

Footnotes[]

^a Kurt Welter is credited in excess of 20 aerial victories while flying the Me 262, but the exact number is disputed.^[10]

References[]

Citations

↑ Spick 1996, pp. 2–3.
↑ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 51.
↑ Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 16–17.
↑ Spick 1996, p. 204.
↑ ^5.00 ^5.01 ^5.02 ^5.03 ^5.04 ^5.05 ^5.06 ^5.07 ^5.08 ^5.09 ^5.10 ^5.11 ^5.12 Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.
↑ Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 17.
↑ Weal 2003, p. 92.
↑ Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 60.
↑ Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.
↑ Hinchliffe 1998, pp. 210, 294.

Bibliography

Boehme, Manfred (1992). "JG 7 The World's First Jet Fighter Unit 1944/1945". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-395-6. .
Boyne, Walter J. (1980). "Messerschmitt Me 262 Arrow to the Future". Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-87474-275-7. .
Foreman, John; Harvey, S.E. (1995). "Messerschmitt Combat Diary Me.262". Crecy Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-871187-30-3. .
Hinchliffe, Peter (1998). "Luftkrieg bei Nacht 1939–1945". Air War at Night. Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-01861-6. .
Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). "German Jet Aces of World War II". Orsprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-634-5. .
Radinger, Willy; Schick, Walther (1993). "Messerschmitt Me 262 Development Testing Production". Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-516-9. .
Spick, Mike (1996). "Luftwaffe Fighter Aces". Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2. .
Weal, John (2003). "Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front". Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6. .

External links[]

German Jet Aces of the Luftwaffe

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The original article can be found at List of German World War II jet aces and the edit history here.

[1] Spick 1996, pp. 2–3.

[2] Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 51.

[3] Morgan & Weal 1998, pp. 16–17.

[4] Spick 1996, p. 204.

[Morgan&Weal-5] 5.00 ^5.01 ^5.02 ^5.03 ^5.04 ^5.05 ^5.06 ^5.07 ^5.08 ^5.09 ^5.10 ^5.11 ^5.12 Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 88.

[6] Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 17.

[7] Weal 2003, p. 92.

[8] Radinger & Schick 1993, p. 60.

[9] Foreman & Harvey 1995, p. 81.

[10] Hinchliffe 1998, pp. 210, 294.

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